First of all, I'd rather start out on a good note. Although I don't see any changes in the mirror, and I took a picture of my first day and I don't really see a change, people really are noticing.

My dad hasn't seen me in two weeks, and today he came to pick up my younger brother and immediately commented on my face and legs. Not to mention another friend in school commented about my face and belly.

Maybe they are getting smaller, but I don't think they are. Meh, it might just be the frustration I'm in at the moment.

Just wanted to vent somewhere about my worries and all that, sorry to bore or annoy anyone. I don't know much about water weight, but I'll just continue telling myself that's what I'm stuck with right now.

I don't know where to start so I guess I'll just start listing what's bothering me, and what worries me the most.

I know I shouldn't worry about weight, and I know it's not everything, but there are two reasons I'm really worrying. One, it hasn't moved in days, and two, I'm starting to worry the scale lied about those 4 pounds. I've had it for 15 years and it's not digital. I'm far sighted and looking down at the number might not always work out so great. I'm not very tall, but it's still enough to blur my vision.

On a good note, today my school randomly granted me some 'living expenses' for a scholarship competition I placed in before I started in school, and got a nice check for $1,500. I can finally buy a heart rate monitor, and a new digital scale. Now, that being said, I have a gut feeling when I get that new scale and find out my real weight, I'll be above 190 for some reason. Maybe its a little far fetched fear, but I can reasonably say I have the right to be so iffy about it

Then there's the calorie counting. I'm using both labels and an online program to count calories, mostly because there's a lot I can't look at a label for, most specifically in school. By the looks of it, I'm getting in around 1,200 and usually less a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? Not to mention I'm working my a** off with the insanity program, and I really push myself rather than half a** it and tell myself I did my best.

And the worst part, is variety in my foods. Trust me, if I had the ingredients and money to buy my own food and cook at home, I would. I'm studying to become a chef for a reason, and I would love the power to bring variety into my day in a healthy way. Problem is, the money I just got is for loans, other than the few pieces of equipment I will buy for this new journey, and plans for after graduation. Until then, I live in someone elses home, my mom. She buys what she wants, and she isn't going to change her 15 year grocery list for anyone. We/she is tight on money, and she buys what she knows to cook, fills us up, and thats it.

On a daily basis, I know what my dinner will be. Rice, beans, and some form of fried meat. Breakfast is usually non existent for me, but I usually try and fit in an egg, toast, and spam or sausage. Snacks are impossible, since she doesn't buy fruit at all, and only lettuce. Not even tomato! I try to drink a lot of water, its not hard because I love water, but when I do snack its usually Special K bar or some saltine crackers. Everynow and then I get variety in school, when we make our own lunch, but half the time I don't eat much because I know its greasy or unhealthy. At some point in my day, I usually have a sandwich or a chicken noodle soup. Thats it! I have nothing to work with! I don't eat chips, I hate cereal, drinking coffee/milk hurts my stomach because I'm lactose intolerant, and I don't eat chocolate more than twice a month, if Im LUCKY.

Maybe you should stop looking at the scales and just do the best you can?

It seems you are truly terrified of the scale and it's ability to NOT MOVE. You just have to remember and BELIEVE that every move you make, every simple carb you pass up, is helping you on the way.

It may come off fast. It might not. Just do what you can and stop fretting about the things you can't change.

Maybe skip getting the digital scale for now and instead, buy yourself some fruit, a bit every day, if it makes you feel better. There are free to use scales everywhere. Heck, I'm sure someone you know might even have one they could give you.

I see in several posts, a lot of worry about not dropping weight fast enough.... stop stressing and do the best you can. It's better than doing nothing and definitely better than gaining and giving up.

I never really planned on giving up, I was just frustrated that it seems I'm getting no results for my efforts. I know it's soon, I mean I've only been doing this a little over a week, but I can't help but feel a little down. I know it's not all about the scale, I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything right now. Thanks for the advice.

Wow, really?! I never imagined that I might need to increase my calories for the workouts. I'm not very informed about a lot of this stuff, but I learn a little everyday. I don't think we have anywhere to weigh ourselves, but I can check student services.

You have got to have patience. Weight is not going to fall off you. If the daily weighins are making you crazy, stop them.

Just assume you might only drop half a pound a week. And assume that some weeks you might gain. But the changes you are making in terms of eating healthy and exercising will stay with you for life.

Up your calories, under 1200 isn't healthy, especially if you are working out like crazy. But again, don't start freaking out on day 3 of 1400 calories if they scale hasn't dropped 3 pounds.

Just settle in. Pretend you are on a plane flight around the world. You've just taken off. If you start freaking out now because you aren't in New Zealand or New York or even past your state line you're going to be in a straight jacket and jumping out the door.

You have got to have patience. Weight is not going to fall off you. If the daily weighins are making you crazy, stop them.

Just assume you might only drop half a pound a week. And assume that some weeks you might gain. But the changes you are making in terms of eating healthy and exercising will stay with you for life.

Up your calories, under 1200 isn't healthy, especially if you are working out like crazy. But again, don't start freaking out on day 3 of 1400 calories if they scale hasn't dropped 3 pounds.

Just settle in. Pretend you are on a plane flight around the world. You've just taken off. If you start freaking out now because you aren't in New Zealand or New York or even past your state line you're going to be in a straight jacket and jumping out the door.

Relax.

I think I've just been nervous to eat anything above 1200, but I will definitely increase my calorie count. I'll try to stop worrying about the scale so much, and just celebrate any loss. Whether its two pounds, or half of one. I guess I'm just really stressed out at the moment, and although I don't expect instant results, you can't help but crave it! I'm such a newbie haha

Assuming you are counting your calories appropriately (ie measuring, weighing, being religious about not tasting things or at least adding that in), then it's just a time factor.

There is no finish line! ~ as someone who has maintained for 7 years except a brief break to have a baby, I can really say this. You have to eat like this forever, or it will come back.

So as seagirl says, sit back and enjoy the flight, it's going to be a very long one.

I don't plan on going back to my old eating habits. They made me feel lazy and overall sick, and I must say I have a lot more energy now and an overall BETTER feeling about myself.

I really do think I'm counting my calories correctly, but I'll always give myself wiggle room and question myself when I'm not positive about the number Knowing the number might be too low will help calculating what the real total is at the end of the day.

You're very admirable, for maintaining for so long! I can only hope I will have the will power you do, and stay in this set of mind for the long run

I agree to up the calories to 1400 a day, it sounds like your meals are high carb so I'd do your best to get more veggies and protein in. You say your mom does the grocery shopping- can you go with her and stick some veggies in the cart? Will she actually pull them out or something?

I'd stay from saltine crackers- salt is not your friend when you are trying to lose weight

I agree to up the calories to 1400 a day, it sounds like your meals are high carb so I'd do your best to get more veggies and protein in. You say your mom does the grocery shopping- can you go with her and stick some veggies in the cart? Will she actually pull them out or something?

I'd stay from saltine crackers- salt is not your friend when you are trying to lose weight

I'm starting to relax a lot more now, thanks I've never really been good at the carb counting thing x_x That's why I stick to calories, but I think I can convince her to drop the poptarts for some oranges, strawberries, and carrots. Not to mention my fave, broccoli! I'll bribe her with sushi, hehe. Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, she doesn't say she doesn't have the money for it, and deny me. Thanks for the tip on the crackers, didn't really like them but I thought it was safer to snack on than the other stuff sitting around the house.

I don't plan on going back to my old eating habits. They made me feel lazy and overall sick, and I must say I have a lot more energy now and an overall BETTER feeling about myself.

I really do think I'm counting my calories correctly, but I'll always give myself wiggle room and question myself when I'm not positive about the number Knowing the number might be too low will help calculating what the real total is at the end of the day.

You're very admirable, for maintaining for so long! I can only hope I will have the will power you do, and stay in this set of mind for the long run

Thanks, it looks like you are on the right path as well We all have those days where we get frustrated, angry, upset, but we stay on path and it all works out in the end

Ah, thanks for understanding! For a while there I felt like I was getting lectured D: I'm happy to say though, that despite not being hungry, I found myself some pineapples a few minutes ago. Canned, but it got my calorie count up to 1,384 I got a cup in after my workout, which I found to be easier today although I worked myself harder than ever before. Ah, I can so easily pride in myself it's not even funny!

IMm going to add a different perspective..... if you ARENT LOSING FAT YOU ARENT IN A CALORIC DEFICIT

its as simple as that.... id be willing to bet you are eating a lot more than you realize (this is not an insult~ 99.99999% of do the same thing) youmight be over estimating your eyeballed portions...if you buy ANYTHING at schookl you really cant know for sure how many cals are in it, and it sounds like your momns meal are calorific! are you MEASURING all your food? Even bought from schhool? Ar eyou EYEBALLING some of it? Or are you WEIGHING yoou food, all of it, , on a digital scale..... this last method will bring you closest to the truth. I personally dont put anything in my mouth that i cant weigh on my scale first...... including lettuce....... im smaller than you, yes, but the original point remains the same...... if you arent losing you arent in a deficit, and the firts place to tlook is at the accuracy of your food counting and intake.... be honest, at least with your self!

__________________"All the Secrets of your foundation shall come to light.... and when you lie, uprooted and broken in the sun, then shall your lies also be separated from your truths" Nietzche

"I do not workout. I TRAIN.
I do not eat. I FEED.
I do not sleep. I RECHARGE.
My greatest fear in this life is the fear of being ordinary."
Personal Bests
MARATHON- 3:58
10K- 44:42
1/2 Marathon -1:50:48
5 miles - 36:12

What the poster before me said was true, however, as you already mentioned you measure and weigh everything im going to add this:

youve only been at this a week you said, a pound of fat is 3500 calories so eating at a deficiate works, but it takes time. Also i can think of 2 things that you mentioned that would cause water retention, making water weight replace whatever youve managed to lose in fat so far, sodium, the saltines and if your mom adds salt to the rice, beans and meat.

The second thing is, as odd as it sounds, working out. Your muscles use alot of water while they repair themselves, this means that when you start a new workout or add more weight or reps or whatnot they will start storing water, just keep drinking alot of water and it will eventually flush itself out and often cause a small 'woosh' on the scale.

As long as you are deficit you WILL lose. Sometimes it just takes longer to show on a scale